The Versatile Master Artist

In an instant, she was conquered by the independent and powerful aura of the other party and began calling her Anna’s little sister.

Miss Elina’s beauty is not only external,

She is like a delicate, plain white Eastern artwork, an ivory ball sculpture, beautiful and lustrous on the outside, with an equally engraved soul, strong and profound on the inside.

Anna casually smiled at the other party, not intending to answer such a meaningless question.

She turned her head to look at her cousin Ole, proactively changing the topic.

”Since Mr. Krueger is so dissatisfied with me, yet willing to send such an expensive birthday gift, is there something he wants me to do?”

Anna asked casually.

”Cousin overthinks. Even though my father might have some small displeasure, he still cares about you,” Ole replied with an awkward smile.

”But there’s something about Uncle Ka La that may require discussing with you, cousin. Anna, have you met him before?”

”Uncle Ka La? The butler previously conveyed his invitation for me to watch the horse race, which I declined. I briefly saw him at the birthday party before excusing myself due to feeling unwell.” Anna frowned slightly, thinking.

Hosting a birthday party or the many balls and salons of old Europe,

The main purpose is to invite people from the upper crust to strengthen connections, foster camaraderie, and discuss business,

Part of traditional social etiquette,

Much like modern millionaires enjoying golf, both are public activities with potential networking attributes outweighing actual celebration or fitness attributes.

Anna is akin to a landlord who collects rent,

Just with more land compared to average landlords.

In terms of property, the main assets are various real estates, with relatively little involvement in modern finance, all managed by professional financial managers at places like Meiquan Palace Office.

She always takes little interest in such social gatherings.

Today, she showed up briefly, said a few things, then slipped away to the walnut grove seeking solitude and painting.

”Now that you mention it... he really did seem like he had something to say but stopped.” Anna pondered for a moment, ”He wouldn’t ask Mr. Krueger for a loan, would he?”

Uncle Ka La is Aunt Anna’s brother,

But his personality is entirely different from Anna’s elegant and dignified aunt. He likes racing cars, horses, beautiful women on yachts, and playing German poker.

After all,

It’s really quite an old-school European playboy style.

Such aristocratic offspring were everywhere from St. Petersburg to Berlin in the nineteenth century, whether Tsarist Russia or Prussia.

Even their favorite hobbies have little difference from those of their predecessors two centuries earlier; they waste but bring nothing novel.

At most, the gambling tool has shifted from classic Whistler bridge to German poker.

Though the fate of wastrels is similar.

Especially after the empire’s collapse and the decline of the nobility.

Usually, when one is born, a grandson ties grandpa’s large portrait on a board for a dart target, angrily throws darts at night, and delivers takeout by bike during the day.

It’s rare to waste until today.

The aunt seldom interacted with her unruly brother while alive, occasionally offering some financial help.

Anna wouldn’t even be willing to privately meet someone like she does with cousin Ole. She merely greeted him briefly at noon.

”Kind of. He recently approached the bank our family is invested in, seeking a 4.5 million euro interest-free loan.”

”I heard...”

Ole checked Anna’s expression, cautiously saying, ”I heard he wants to establish something like ’Ilyena NFT Digital Art Blockchain Exchange.’ The venture capital department reviewed his proposal and thought, um, well, it doesn’t seem very feasible.”

”Doesn’t seem very feasible?” Anna asked slowly.

”The risk control manager’s exact words were that it’s a butt-wiping kind of trash. For someone seeking a multi-million euro interest-free loan, even a scammer shouldn’t be so unprofessional. Not reporting him is already considering your face.” Ole surely knew, the other party merely tried to knock out some money using the Elena family’s reputation accumulated in art over centuries.

”Alright. Thank you for telling me, I’ll handle it.”

Anna gently diverted her gaze, staring out the window at the sky, slowly speaking.

”Certainly, we didn’t approve his funding request, but Uncle Ka La seems to be in poor financial shape lately. I personally gave him one hundred thousand euros.”

”You did well.”

Anna nodded, instructing the butler, ”Please bring me my checkbook.”

The butler bowed respectfully.

”I’ll help repay you that money with a ten thousand euro check. Remember to take it when you leave.”

”There’s no need. Uncle Ka La is my uncle, too!” Ole smiled.

He and Anna weren’t closely related by blood.

The reason they called each other siblings is Ole’s mother and Aunt Anna were close friends.

Not only was she Anna’s guardian, but Ole’s godmother as well.

Plus, Ole’s mother passed away relatively early.

He often lived at the Elena family home as a child, thus always called Anna cousin.

”No, I insist.”

Anna said, ”Please notify me immediately about such matters in the future; if I don’t answer the phone, contact my butler.”

Ole discreetly observed his cousin’s expression.

He knows Anna very well,

and understands what constitutes her emotional boundaries.

Anna is someone whose attitude towards art is nearly sacred, an idealist with a significant obsession.

The decision to offend Van Doorn and choose that online artist as champion due to her dedication came as no surprise to Ole.

From childhood to adulthood,

Cousin Anna has always been someone who would do such things.

She can completely disregard the title of Countess and instead value the Ilyena family’s centuries-old reputation in the art domain highly.

Someone has encroached upon this territorial claim in her heart.

Ole can imagine Anna’s internal fury, thinking she would have a sensational fit, seeing the burning rage in her eyes.

Yet, she merely lowers her head, quietly signing her name on a ten-thousand-euro check.

Looking at the outwardly composed Miss Elina,

Ole suddenly felt a pang of pity in his heart and, disregarding the female celebrity beside him, switched to French, suddenly saying,

”Anna, why don’t you marry me then?”